Category: Technology

There was a time where Samsung Galaxy S’s 4″ WVGA display is being introduced as “Large, high-resolution display” while the first Galaxy Note is known as “Giant” and reviewer noticed weird stare by the public for holding such a huge phone. As time passes, we reached a point where 5.1″ Full HD display for 2017 flagship is considered too small & low resolution. In the time of everyone fighting to squeeze the biggest display into their phone, a small company called Unihertz decided to go opposite and introduce possibly the smallest smartphone that runs Android Nougat, meet Jelly.

Spec sheet wise, the Jelly actually packs a whole lot of feature on its 92.3 x 43 x 13.3 mm size (It’s barely a quarter of the size comparing to iPhone 7 Plus or Pixel XL!). You get a 2.45″ display with a resolution of 240 x 432 pixels running on a Quad-core Mediatek processor, 1/2GB of RAM & 8/16GB of ROM. Most importantly, Jelly is running on the latest mainstream Android version in the market, the Nougat 7.0. Even my 2016 flagship Huawei P9 has yet to get a taste of Nougat at the time of writing.

As a phone size that small, Jelly comes with compromise. For instance, the battery is only 950mAh, probably won’t be the longest-lasting phone that you want but at least it is interchangeable so you can pop in the spare battery if required. The charging time for this phone is going to be significantly shorter since there is so little power consumption on the 2.45″ display.One thing to be clear of, Jelly is not going to replace your iPhone 7 Plus or Galaxy S8 as the primary phone. Jelly is rather a really compact secondary/backup phone with a decent specification. You are able to get the Jelly (1GB RAM/8GB ROM) or Jelly Pro (2GB RAM/16GB ROM) on Kickstarter by clicking here. Pricing for Jelly starts at US$69 while Jelly Pro starts at US$85 with limited quantity before moving on to the next price range. Their Kickstarter page is fully funded within 57 minutes shows that Jelly is definitely here to stay.

What do you get by combining a laptop backpack with a portable solar charger and a Bluetooth speaker?
Solgaard Design aimed to create the backpack to suit anyone, anytime. Introducing the Lifepack, the Solar Powered & Anti-Theft Backpack.

One of the unique features that stand out from the competitors is that each Lifepack comes with Solarbank (10,000 mAh solar charger + portable speaker) at the top of the bag.

Solarbank comes with 2 USB port with 1A & 2A power hence you might not get the fastest charging speed as you might be expecting. What’s interesting is that you can connect the cable to an extension port inside the bag and able to charge your phone from the bag itself without removing the charger at all.

The solar panel on the charge can ensure that Solarbank is always topping up via solar power while you are on the go. The speaker is located directly on the other side of the solar panel (Check out the image above). Solar power charging may not be the most practical way to charge the Solarbank due to its lower power conversion thus you should always rely on USB charging to top up the juice. The Solar panel will be much useful In the situation such as hiking where you may find yourself without any power source around during emergency situation and it should at least provide you with some power juice to keep in contact with outside world.

A little design concern here, you may wish to note that with the Solarbank removed, the pouch that holds the Solarbank are not covered up hence there will be the risk of water getting into the bag during rainy weather. Thankfully Lifepack also included a fully waterproof cover which you can easily access from the bottom of the bag.

For those who are concerned about the security when carrying Lifepack out for work, Lifepack has you covered by having an integrated 3 digit passcode lock that you can use to lock your bag’s zipper or simply lock the bag to the table or chair to prevent potential theft.

Additionally, there are four hidden pockets round the strap & back that are big enough for you to keep your passport, cards and earphone. Lifepack also included a built-in pouch for laptop size up to 14 inches to protect it from other contents in the bag. Since it is introduced as an Anti-theft bag, Lifepack feels extremely durable and sturdy while you are carrying it. No matter how much/little items you put into the bag, the size of the bag feels the same thus it might feel too bulky for most users who are smaller in body size.

At the current retail price of USD$269 on https://solgaard.co, it is certainly not the bag for everyone. Overall, I recommended this bag for people who looking for multiple usage backpacks that are suitable for both leisure & business due to its feature & better security measure. The SolarBank itself is also a nice bonus for someone who is looking for entertainment on the go with Bluetooth speaker and Powerbank combined into one.

Described as the World’s First Biometric full-fledge loyalty and payment solution platform, Touché lets you pay with just your fingers. They envisaged a future where you don’t need your wallet to prove your identity. Touché digitalises your wallet into their platform which you can then access wherever their service is available. It makes sense, but would you trust Touché with that very private information?(more…)

LG has a new Smart Instaview Fridge, that features Amazon Alexa and LG’s own webOS smart platform. Geeks can now shout at their fridge to check on their grocery shopping status and read digital post-it notes.(more…)

Android boxes are extremely popular home multimedia accessories. The Probox2 Air is a TV box with a relatively new Android build (6.0), dual band WiFi and the like. These Android boxes pack a punch in terms of playback capability, and with the breadth of content in the app store (and other sources), it’s an convenient way to add content for your home entertainment.(more…)

Whizcomms is the newest Internet Provider in Singapore, with their claims of the cheapest 1 Gbps plan. M1 just came up with a promotion at the same price plan but Whizcomms responded with a counter offer. Good times ahead. I managed to qualify for the Whizcomms free 3 months Fibre Internet trial, and they came over to setup the 1 Gbps promotion. Installation was a breeze. The appointment was set for 9am to 1pm and the 2 service engineers came down at about 920am. They took only 15 min to setup and test the internet connection.(more…)